Joystiqhttp://www.joystiq.com
Joystiqhttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifJoystiqhttp://www.joystiq.com
en-usCopyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/nintendo-amiibo-sales-on-par-with-smash-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/nintendo-amiibo-sales-on-par-with-smash-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/12/12/nintendo-amiibo-sales-on-par-with-smash-in-the-us/#comments
Nintendo's amiibo toys are selling 1 for 1 in the US with Super Smash Bros. Wii U, according to the publisher. In November, the console fighter sold "nearly 710,000" units going by NPD data, and Nintendo of America said amiibo sales are "approximately equal" to those of the game.

This week's seen Nintendo tiptoe around the subject of some amiibo not returning to market, but the company's kept firm on the most popular toys staying available. Nintendo of America reported the best-sellers to date are, in order, Link, Mario and Pikachu. Sorry, Wii Fit Trainer.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsamiibonintendonorth-americanpdpokemon-alpha-sapphire-omega-rubysuper-smash-bros-2014super-smash-bros-for-wii-uUSwii-uFri, 12 Dec 2014 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/25/smash-bros-sells-over-490k-on-wii-u-in-three-days/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/25/smash-bros-sells-over-490k-on-wii-u-in-three-days/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/25/smash-bros-sells-over-490k-on-wii-u-in-three-days/#commentsSuper Smash Bros. is the fastest-selling Wii U game to launch in the United States, according to a press release issued by Nintendo today. The publisher says it sold more than 490,000 copies of the game from its launch on November 21 through November 23. The figure represents sales at retail as well as digital copies of the game.

The sales data pairs well with the portable version of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, which reached over 3.22 million copies sold as of late October. Those that own copies of the game on both platforms will receive the Pokemon character Mewtwo as a playable fighter down the road, though Nintendo may also opt to offer the fighter as premium DLC as well. Nintendo also launched its line of NFC-capable figures on the same day as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Amiibo, which can become pretty dastardly in the fighting game. The publisher did not offer any early sales data for Amiibo.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fightingnintendosalessmash-brossuper-smash-brossuper-smash-bros-2014super-smash-bros-for-wii-uunited-statesuswii-uTue, 25 Nov 2014 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/12/forsee-a-trip-to-gamestop-if-you-want-the-shulk-amiibo/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/12/forsee-a-trip-to-gamestop-if-you-want-the-shulk-amiibo/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/12/forsee-a-trip-to-gamestop-if-you-want-the-shulk-amiibo/#comments
Shulk is the first Amiibo unearthed as retailer-exclusive in the US, according to a listing on GameStop. The figurine of the Xenoblade hero is one of 11 coming to North America in February 2015, and yesterday Nintendo said "some of our retail partners will be releasing a certain number of these as exclusive figures, so stay tuned for details."

Nintendo didn't say which Amiibos are exclusive to which retailers, but we're guessing that "certain number" isn't 1. Anyhow, the other ten toys due in February are Rosalina & Luma, Bowser, Lucario, Toon Link, Sheik, Ike, Meta Knight, Sonic, King Dedede and Mega Man.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amiiboexclusiveexclusivesgamestopNorth-Americashulksuper-smash-bros-2014super-smash-bros-for-wii-uunited-statesUSxenobladexenoblade-chroniclesWed, 12 Nov 2014 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/17/ms-kinect-less-debut-sees-xbox-one-monthly-sales-double-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/17/ms-kinect-less-debut-sees-xbox-one-monthly-sales-double-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/17/ms-kinect-less-debut-sees-xbox-one-monthly-sales-double-in-us/#comments
It looks like the Kinect-less line of Xbox One helped give the console a boost in June, when sales of the system in the US were "more than double" those of May. Microsoft announced the stat, revealing its internal data is based on its "retail calendar and sold through numbers," meaning they represent sales to consumers rather than shipments to retailers.

The company didn't offer any hard figures in its announcement, including what proportion of sales came from systems without the Kinect motion sensor. We may get a clearer picture of the Xbox One's sales performance on July 22 when Microsoft presents its latest financial earnings release. In April, the company said it had shipped 5 million systems to date, while at the end of last year consumer sales were up to 3 million.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kinectmicrosoftsalesUSxboxxbox-oneThu, 17 Jul 2014 07:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/nintendo-3ds-software-sales-increased-in-2013-sold-11-5-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/nintendo-3ds-software-sales-increased-in-2013-sold-11-5-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/10/nintendo-3ds-software-sales-increased-in-2013-sold-11-5-million/#comments
Avoiding a conversation about its other child, Nintendo announced this morning that the lifetime hardware sales for the 3DS have surpassed 11.5 million units in the US. The 3DS family includes the original system, along with 3DS XL and 2DS. The company plans to announce its third quarter earnings on January 29, which should help bring global context to the hardware sales number.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2ds3ds3ds-xlfire-emblem-awakeningnintendosalesthe-legend-of-zelda-a-link-between-worldsusUSAFri, 10 Jan 2014 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/15/lego-marvel-super-heroes-to-make-xbox-one-launch-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/15/lego-marvel-super-heroes-to-make-xbox-one-launch-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/15/lego-marvel-super-heroes-to-make-xbox-one-launch-in-us/#comments
TheLego Marvel Super Heroes assemble alongside the Xbox One next week in the US after all, while in Europe they're due a week later on November 29. Warner Bros. told Game Informer the Xbox One version of TT Games' hero-stuffed platformer will hit US retail shelves on November 22. When approached, a Warner Bros. UK representative confirmed the information with Joystiq.

Just like its variety of super-people - WB says there are more than 100 playable characters - Lego Marvel Super Heroes is available on an assortment of other platforms, starting today. You can pick it up alongside a super fresh PS4, or on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, 3DS, and Vita.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europelegolego-marvel-super-heroesmicrosoftNorth-Americarelease-daetTT-GamesUSWarner-BrosWarner-Bros-InteractiveWBWBIExbox-oneFri, 15 Nov 2013 09:01:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/29/xbox-one-voice-commands-available-in-5-markets-at-launch/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/29/xbox-one-voice-commands-available-in-5-markets-at-launch/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/29/xbox-one-voice-commands-available-in-5-markets-at-launch/#comments
The Xbox One's ability to listen to your sultry, sensuous voice and translate those mouth noises into a command to watch New Girl on Netflix will only function in five markets at launch. Specifically, those markets are the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France and Germany. This means that Xbox Ones sold in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain and New Zealand will be without this functionality on launch.

The news was mentioned at the very bottom of this lengthy Xbox One overview on Xbox.com. No further information was given beyond the fact that "Xbox voice commands will not be available in all markets on the product release date," so exactly when voice commands will make it to the remaining launch markets is anyone's guess. Earlier this month, Microsoft scaled the Xbox One's launch from 21 to 13 territories, with later reports citing Kinect localization as the main reason for this delay.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Eurokinectlaunchlaunch-marketsmicrosoftUSvoicevoice-commandsxboxxbox-oneThu, 29 Aug 2013 13:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/wikipad-launches-in-us-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/wikipad-launches-in-us-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/wikipad-launches-in-us-next-week/#comments
The revamped 7-inch model of the Wikipad hits retail shelves on June 11 at a similarly revamped $249. After its delay on launch day back in October, plans for a $500 10-inch tablet were scrapped in favor of the smaller, less pricey version coming to US stores next week. UK and worldwide arrivals for the Android tablet are planned for this summer.

Apart from those three inches, this Wikipad no longer includes a rear camera in addition to the 2 megapixel front-facing one. Otherwise, the smaller tablet features the same specs as before: a quad-core Tegra 3 processor with 12 core Nvidia GPU and "true widescreen" HD screen, 16GB of storage with a micro SD for an additional 32GB, and HDMI out. Detachable console-like controls are still included and remain the same size as they were.

The Wikipad will be available at launch at Best Buy, Walmart, and TigerDirect.com

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidmobilerelease-dateuswikipadTue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/28/the-realm-fails-to-meet-kickstarter-goal-plans-us-based-relaunc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/28/the-realm-fails-to-meet-kickstarter-goal-plans-us-based-relaunc/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/28/the-realm-fails-to-meet-kickstarter-goal-plans-us-based-relaunc/#commentsAtomhawk Design and Lantern Interactive's Kickstarter for its point-and-click adventure game The Realm has failed to reach its goal of £195,000 (about $300,000), but it says the project isn't dead yet. Despite not getting the money it needed, The Realm ended up as one of the top UK-based game Kickstarters to date. Being based in the UK was one of the main issues, however, as users in the United States weren't able to contribute directly due to Kickstarter's funding rules. So Atomhawk and Lantern have decided to relaunch the campaign later on this year, this time from a US-based account.

Potential contributors were also asking to see gameplay footage, so that will be a priority next time around. In the meantime, the team asks that anyone interested in getting more updates on the game sign up to a mailing list. "We may not have have won the battle," says The Realm team's post, "but the war is not over yet!"

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atomhawk-designcrowdfundingfundingkickstarterlantern-interactivemailing-listmoneypcraisedsupportthe-realmukusTue, 28 May 2013 12:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/rumor-ps4-in-japan-later-this-year-will-cost-more-than-400/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/rumor-ps4-in-japan-later-this-year-will-cost-more-than-400/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/06/rumor-ps4-in-japan-later-this-year-will-cost-more-than-400/#commentsThe PlayStation 4 - which is currently expected to be announced on February 20 - will be available later on this year in both Japan and the US and will carry a hefty price, according to a translation of a report found in respected Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. The Japanese version, says the translated report, will cost "greater than 40,000 yen," which means it will be more than $400 there.

Asahi adds there will be a rush to meet sales demands on both sides of the world, but the paper doesn't specify a US price; however, the PlayStation 3 launched at $500 when it came to North America, and cost 49,980 yen in Japan, around $535. So Asahi's report suggests that whatever the next generation PlayStation's price is, it will likely be slightly cheaper than the PS3 was at launch.

There's also no mention of a European launch, and the PS3's launch was indeed delayed in Europe by hardware shortages. Hopefully, Sony will clear all this up on February 20.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announcementasahi-shimbundollarsjapannext-genorbisplaystationplaystation-4priceps3ps4sonyusyenWed, 06 Feb 2013 21:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/free-bioshock-offer-with-ps3-copies-of-infinite-is-north-america/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/free-bioshock-offer-with-ps3-copies-of-infinite-is-north-america/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/04/free-bioshock-offer-with-ps3-copies-of-infinite-is-north-america/#commentsIn June 2011 we learned that BioShock Infinite for PS3 comes with a free copy of the original BioShock- this is still true, but only for US customers, 2K Games tells Videogamer.

"I can confirm that the PS3 version of BioShock Infinite in North America contains a copy of the original BioShock," 2K says. "This is not the case in UK as it's a local promotion in North America."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshockbioshock-infinitefreemoveNorth-Americaplaystationps3ukusTue, 04 Dec 2012 20:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/22/psa-new-playstation-store-now-live-in-uk-across-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/22/psa-new-playstation-store-now-live-in-uk-across-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/22/psa-new-playstation-store-now-live-in-uk-across-europe/#commentsThe new-look PlayStation Store is now live in the UK, after its initial launch stuttered last week. Sony UK revealed the makeover went temporarily up and then quickly down again following technical issues.

Those issues are now apparently resolved, with a tweet on the PlayStation Europe account confirming the new store is now live across all EU territories. The new-look PlayStation Store was expected to arrive in North America tomorrow, but has since been postponed.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europenorth-americaplaystationplaystation-storeps3PSNsonyUSMon, 22 Oct 2012 10:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/psn-puzzle-platformer-page-chronica-aims-to-land-in-next-3-4-we/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/psn-puzzle-platformer-page-chronica-aims-to-land-in-next-3-4-we/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/17/psn-puzzle-platformer-page-chronica-aims-to-land-in-next-3-4-we/#commentsRed Hare Studios is hoping to release upcoming PSN puzzle platformer Page Chronica by mid-November, the Singaporean developer tells us. Red Hare producer Dr. Wee Lit Koh says that, while no definite release date is confirmed, his studio hopes to launch the PS3 game in North America and Europe in the next three to four weeks. While the price is again unconfirmed, Red Hare is targeting $10.99/€10.99.

As the above trailer shows, Page Chronica mixes vibrant 2D platforming with vexing word puzzles. As well as guiding Topaz through enchanted storybook worlds, players have to collect the magical alphabet floating about. Collecting and rearranging letters into words correctly lets Topaz unleash spells and attacks, which she can use to take out the evil infesting the stories. The longer and more complicated the word is, the more powerful Topaz's attacks and magic become. Think of it like LostWinds but with a helping of Scrabble. Or Kirby's Epic Yarn with a dollop of Boggle. You get the idea.

Page Chronica accidentally came out early on the European PSN store last month (it was originally expected to release mid-October) only to be swiftly removed. Thankfully PSNStores reports those who purchased the game when it was up are getting a free copy when it eventually launches. As for when that is, we'll be sure to keep you updated.

The last of a four-part developer diary series for Assassin's Creed 3 is titled "America, by Land and Sea," and it takes place entirely in the skies above Morocco. Strange.

Not really - the final dev diary describes the historical accuracy of Assassin's Creed 3's main cities, positing that citizens of those areas today should get a creepy "I've been here before" feeling while wandering the digital streets. It also tackles the frontier and Connor's tree-running ability, along with epic naval battles. These are different than "navel" battles, bear in mind.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Americaassassins-creed-3dev-diarydeveloper-diarymicrosoftpcplaystationps3UbisoftusxboxWed, 19 Sep 2012 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/obama-romney-get-chiptuned-in-battle-for-presidential-seat/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/obama-romney-get-chiptuned-in-battle-for-presidential-seat/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/17/obama-romney-get-chiptuned-in-battle-for-presidential-seat/#commentsThe battle for the White House is an epic, intense drama to rival those of legend and myth, so of course it makes a great chiptune video game. The Gregory Brothers, creators of Autotune the News and all those viral videos about burgers and bed intruders, songified Barack Obama and Mitt Romney from the Democratic and Republican national conventions (respectively, in case you get those two mixed up).

The video is titled "Patriot Game" and presents the presidential candidates side-by-side, comparing their talking points as if they were literal points in an 8-bit video game, set to an upbeat tune. Watch the piggy banks, (bleeding) hearts and American flags stack up over at The New York Times, and see who wins to be the fictional, autotuned President of Earths and Moon. It might surprise you.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>8-bitAutotunebarack-obamachiptunedncMitt-RomneyNew-York-TimesnytpresidentRNCsongifythe-gregory-brothersthe-new-york-timesunited-statesusMon, 17 Sep 2012 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/sony-trademarks-rain-until-dawn-in-eu-and-us-before-gamesco/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/sony-trademarks-rain-until-dawn-in-eu-and-us-before-gamesco/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/07/sony-trademarks-rain-until-dawn-in-eu-and-us-before-gamesco/#commentsSony is either preparing a few unannounced IPs for the public eye, or it's really concerned about the weather at Gamescom next week. Sony has trademarked "Rain" and "Until Dawn" in the US and Europe, both as "computer game software." The above image was included with the Rain filing via OHIM, the European trademark system.

Until Dawn was registered on OHIM in May and on USPTO in August; Rain hit both OHIM and USPTO on July 30. No additional information is provided in the filings, but OnlySP links the Rain trademark with a gif depicting an unknown PlayStation quick-time-event (mostly because it happens to be raining in the scene). The image in Rain's filing takes a more Limbo approach than the gif suggests, but for now any speculation is just that.

Sony's Gamescom press conference is on Tuesday, August 14, and the trademark timing seems right for a reveal.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europeGamescom-2012ohimplaystationplaystation-vitaps3RainSONYTrademarkuntil-dawnusUSPTOvitaTue, 07 Aug 2012 21:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/bringing-a-chinese-shooter-to-the-west-with-mercenary-ops/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/bringing-a-chinese-shooter-to-the-west-with-mercenary-ops/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/bringing-a-chinese-shooter-to-the-west-with-mercenary-ops/#commentsMercenary Ops is something of a rarity. While there are quite a few Western-developed games being published in Asia by Chinese and Korean companies, there aren't a lot of Chinese-developed online titles being published by Western companies.

Developed in China by Yingpei Games, which used to be called Epic Games China, the shooter is being distributed by the San Francisco-based outfit Kalends, a group of developers who've decided to try their hand at publishing on their own.

As for the game itself, Kalends has announced that Mercenary Ops will be released as a free-to-play, microtransaction-based title - a business plan that has deep roots in China, but is only just breaking ground stateside.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asiabetaeasternfree-to-playjason-sharpkalendsmarketsmercenary-opspcshooterthird-personuswesternying-peiTue, 15 May 2012 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/sony-shares-drop-to-31-year-low-in-japan-19-year-low-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/sony-shares-drop-to-31-year-low-in-japan-19-year-low-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/sony-shares-drop-to-31-year-low-in-japan-19-year-low-in-us/#commentsShares of Sony stock have dipped to their lowest number in 31 years in Japan and to a 19-year low in the US, following a dismal earnings report for the previous fiscal year. Sony shares dropped 7 percent in Japan, to 1,135 Yen ($14), and 2 percent in the US, closing at $15.37.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>downfy-2012Japanplaystationplaystation-vitaps3pspsharessonystocksusvitaFri, 11 May 2012 14:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/canabalt-makes-the-jump-to-playstation-minis/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/canabalt-makes-the-jump-to-playstation-minis/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/canabalt-makes-the-jump-to-playstation-minis/#commentsCanabalt, the deceptively addictive single-button platformer from Adam Saltsman, is available for PS3, Vita and PSP as a PlayStation Mini in Europe right now, and is set to hit next week in the US. Canabalt costs £1.74/€1.99/AU $3.45.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-atomicadam-saltsmanCanabalteuropeminisplaystationplaystation-vitaps-minisps3pspsonyusvitaSat, 17 Mar 2012 02:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/rising-star-games-to-bring-jp-titles-to-us-starting-with-akai-k/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/rising-star-games-to-bring-jp-titles-to-us-starting-with-akai-k/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/30/rising-star-games-to-bring-jp-titles-to-us-starting-with-akai-k/#commentsRising Star Games, UK publisher of Japanese franchises such as Harvest Moon andNo More Heroes, is making a foray into US publishing, MCV reports. Rising Star has opened an office in California and plans to release its first title, Cave's Akai Katana, on Xbox 360 in Q2 2012. We've watched with bitter jealousy as Japan and Europe enjoyed some of these releases exclusively, and Cave in particular has been very good at rubbing it in our faces. Party's over, Cave.

Rising Star has also launched an offshoot to handle its downloadable releases, called Rising Star Games Digital. "Rising Star Games Digital has been something we've been working on for a while," company MD Martin Defries said. "We envisage a huge growth in downloadable product over the coming years, and intend to play a big part shaping the future development of our exciting industry."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Akai-KatanaJapanmicrosoftrising-star-gamesRising-Star-Games-DigitalukusxboxMon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/atlus-teases-new-srpg-on-twitter-likely-us-release-of-gungnir/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/atlus-teases-new-srpg-on-twitter-likely-us-release-of-gungnir/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/14/atlus-teases-new-srpg-on-twitter-likely-us-release-of-gungnir/#comments
There's teasing and then there's just plain teasing. Atlus is engaging in what must certainly be the much more annoying second kind by outright daring its Twitter followers to guess the company's next release, and giving them only three tidbits of information to go on. It's a strategy RPG title (good), it starts with "G," and ends with "R."

Intrepid Atlus followers have two main guesses: First, a new Growlanser game, part of the tactical RPG series which Atlus has published in Japan in the past. Or (and this seems somewhat more likely) a game called Gungnir (subtitled Inferno of the Demon Lance and the War of Heroes), which Atlus published earlier this year in Japan. Most of the titles in the Dept. Heaven series have already been published in the US in some form, so it makes sense that Atlus would be publishing this one as well.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atlusgrowlansergungnirjapanpublishrpgseriesstrategy-rpgtactical-rpgususaWed, 14 Dec 2011 21:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/zynga-delaying-stock-ipo-due-to-rocky-stock-markets-and-sec-q/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/zynga-delaying-stock-ipo-due-to-rocky-stock-markets-and-sec-q/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/zynga-delaying-stock-ipo-due-to-rocky-stock-markets-and-sec-q/#comments
Zynga was all revved up to release the initial public offering of its stock, but has had to delay that plan due to market instability and to answer questions from the SEC, according to The New York Post.

The IPO was planned for next month, but the SEC is looking into how the social games company is reporting both its user numbers and revenue, two factors which would obviously greatly influence a stock's performance. Zynga's also citing "the rocky stock markets" as a factor in the delay, which means the IPO will be pushed back to sometime later this year, possibly in November.

Zynga also needed some time to post its performance numbers on all of its friends' walls on Facebook, as well as send out Free Mystery Gifts to everyone on the SEC's ruling board.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>macmobilenew-york-postpcreuterssecurities-and-exchange-commissionstocksuszyngaMon, 29 Aug 2011 21:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/nintendo-ds-is-now-best-selling-console-ever-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/nintendo-ds-is-now-best-selling-console-ever-in-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/nintendo-ds-is-now-best-selling-console-ever-in-us/#commentsNintendo has tabulated its internal US sales figures for 2010, finding that more than seven million Wiis were sold here for the third year in a row. According to Nintendo, that means the Wii has now sold 34 million units life-to-date in the US.

Yo Wii, I'm really happy for you, and I'm a let you finish, but the DS is the US's best-selling video game console of all time. Of all time. Nintendo reports that the life-to-date US sales for the DS family of systems now stands at over 47 million. The closest competitor is the PlayStation 2, which had sold 50 million in all of North America as of early 2009. The DS became Europe's best-selling console ever last year.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dslife-to-dateltdnintendosalesuswiiTue, 04 Jan 2011 10:03:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/study-average-social-gamer-age-is-only-27-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/study-average-social-gamer-age-is-only-27-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/26/study-average-social-gamer-age-is-only-27-in-the-us/#comments
If you think that those silly social games like Farmville and Mafia Wars are full of teenagers, you're only half right. The average player of social games is actually younger than previously believed, according to a new study, but a little older than teenage: 29 in the US and 27 in the EU. That's an interesting conclusion, especially since the average gamer is actually a little older than that (s/he was 30 a few years ago and has been getting steadily older since then), and most people believe that social gamers on Facebook tend to skew even older.

This survey by GamesIndustry.com, however, goes against that grain, and claims that while there are more females playing these games than males, they tend to be younger than expected. Peter Warman of that site says that the reason for this is that most such surveys don't poll any lower than age 18: "It is therefore not at all surprising that their average age is extraordinarily high ... Data from kids and teens is vital and should always be taken into account."

If these surveys aren't representing anyone below age 18, then it's possible gamers, especially those playing social games on Facebook and elsewhere, are even younger than anyone's guessed previously.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ageaverageaverage-gamereufacebookfarmvillegamergamesindustrygamingmafia-warsoldersocial-gamingsurveyusyoungerFri, 26 Mar 2010 03:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/batman-arkham-asylum-goty-edition-coming-to-na-in-may/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/batman-arkham-asylum-goty-edition-coming-to-na-in-may/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/batman-arkham-asylum-goty-edition-coming-to-na-in-may/#comments
Whew, that was a close one. We were really hoping to get another opportunity to purchase Batman: Arkham Asylum again, but it seemed Rocksteady and Eidos had planned to keep the game's Game of the Year edition exclusively overseas. Fortunately, it seems they've changed their minds -- an Eidos press release just confirmed that the expanded version of the game (which includes four extra challenge maps and 3D support) will be getting a stateside release.

Whether you missed out on 2009's surprise superhero smash hit, or whether you were just disappointed by its lack of extra dimensions, you'll be able to get your fix when Batman GOTY ships sometime in May.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announcementbatmanbatman-arkham-asylumbatman-arkham-asylum-game-of-the-year-editioneidosgame-of-the-yearMicrosoftrelease-daterocksteadyusXbox-360Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/17/platinumgames-infinite-space-docking-in-europe-on-march-26th/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/17/platinumgames-infinite-space-docking-in-europe-on-march-26th/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/17/platinumgames-infinite-space-docking-in-europe-on-march-26th/#commentsInfinite Space, the upcoming DS space RPG from Platinum Games, has gotten itself a European release date in the form of March 26th (or as you might call it in Bangladesh, "Independence Day").

Strangely, we still haven't heard an official US date yet -- the closest we've got is Spring 2010, which despite all of the snow you might be seeing lately, is approaching quite quickly. Assuming that the EU and US dates aren't too far off from each other, by the end of March you too might be saying, "I'm... in space!" just like the wince-worthy voice acting we've experienced so far.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dateeuropeaninfinite-spacemarchplatinum-gamesplatinumgamesrpgspacespring-2010usWed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/red-steel-2-launches-march-23-in-us-march-26-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/red-steel-2-launches-march-23-in-us-march-26-in-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/red-steel-2-launches-march-23-in-us-march-26-in-europe/#comments
After pushing most of its anticipated titles from Fall 2009 into the new year (and some even further), Ubisoft has finally revealed when Red Steel 2 will exit the saloon doors and somersault onto retail store shelves. The latest trailer -- titled "Caldera" -- reveals the Wii-exclusive sequel will release on March 26 in Europe, while GameSpot confirms the game lands in the US on March 23, as previously suggested.

Ubisoft plans to launch Red Steel 2 in two flavors: Standalone software for $50 and bundled with the Wii Motion Plus add-on for $60. GameStop preorder customers will also get exclusive access to two in-game swords. We're still smitten with the sequel's new manga-esque, East-meets-West visual style and "desert-bound, high-tech metropolis" setting, but we're also still holding our breath to see if Ubisoft can tweak the "canned" gameplay we experienced during our last hands-on with Red Steel 2.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europeNintendonorth-americared-steelred-steel-2release-datetrailerubisoftubisoft-parisusWiiTue, 26 Jan 2010 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/heavy-rain-release-date-february-23-in-north-america/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/heavy-rain-release-date-february-23-in-north-america/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/08/heavy-rain-release-date-february-23-in-north-america/#commentsDid Qore say February 16 was the day Heavy Rain would be released? It meant February 23! As if specifically intended to correct this morning's report, Sony just announced the for-real North American release date for the adventure game. A reminder: pre-ordering the title will get you free launch-day access to the first downloadable Heavy Rain Chronicles episode, which won't be available otherwise until a later date (at which point it'll be $5).

Sony also confirmed European release dates for Quantic Dream's interactive novel thing: February 24 for mainland Europe and February 26 in the UK and Ireland.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureeuropeheavy-rainheavy-rain-the-origami-killerInteractive-Dramanorth-americaquantic-dreamrelease-dateSCESCEASonySony-Computer-EntertainmentSony-Computer-Entertainment-AmericaukusFri, 08 Jan 2010 11:32:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/god-of-war-iii-gets-a-japanese-release-date/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/god-of-war-iii-gets-a-japanese-release-date/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/god-of-war-iii-gets-a-japanese-release-date/#comments
We've known that God of War III would be arriving on the Playstation 3 in March for a while now, but Sony has blessed Japan with an actual date: March 26, 2010. There's no official date for the rest of the world yet, but we'll let you know when we see one.

The good news is that it's possible the game could come out earlier in the US, being as it's a title developed right here between the shining seas. But either way, that demo will have to tide you over for a couple more months.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demoeugod-of-war-3god-of-war-3-demogod-of-war-iiijapanjapanesereleaserelease-datesanta-monicasonyusThu, 07 Jan 2010 20:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/25/wii-sports-resort-lands-in-one-million-us-homes/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/25/wii-sports-resort-lands-in-one-million-us-homes/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/25/wii-sports-resort-lands-in-one-million-us-homes/#comments
Nintendo's tropical minigame getaway, Wii Sports Resort, has managed to entice one million gamers in the US, the publisher has announced. Debuting July 26, it didn't take the game long to reach that number (it sold 508,000 in July), and we're sure that we'll be writing another post like this one in a month or so when the game reaches two million in sales. Anyone taking bets?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessNintendonpdsalesusWiiwii-sportswii-sports-resortTue, 25 Aug 2009 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/11/kaigler-dsi-us-launch-a-success-haters-better-recognize/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/11/kaigler-dsi-us-launch-a-success-haters-better-recognize/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/11/kaigler-dsi-us-launch-a-success-haters-better-recognize/#commentsIGN's Nintendo Minute recently posed a question to Nintendo VP of corporate affairs Denise Kaigler about sales of the DSi. IGN was under the impression that the handheld had a slow start, but Kaigler was quick to lay the smack down. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to strongly disagree with your premise," she said, pointing to NPD figures that show the DSi's first three months in the US moved more units than the original DS Phat, DS Lite and Wii did in the same period of time.

During its initial three months of availability, the DSi has unloaded more than 1.7 million units onto consumers. Compare that to the figures for the first three months of the DS Phat (1.38 million) and the DS Lite (1.07 million) and it's pretty clear who the winner is. Despite the fact that the DSi ($169.99) is more expensive than the DS Phat ($149.99) and DS Lite ($129.99) when they launched, consumers have been in favor of the Facebook-compatible handheld.

The DSi even managed to best Nintendo's money-printing Wii in its first three months gracing store shelves, as the Wii debuted with 1.52 million units sold. As impressive as that may be, we're pretty sure had launch supplies been greater, the Wii would've easily trumped the DSi's figures.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessdenise-kaiglerDSdsiNintendonintendo-dsinpdsalesusTue, 11 Aug 2009 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/nintendo-wii-sets-us-sales-record/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/nintendo-wii-sets-us-sales-record/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/12/nintendo-wii-sets-us-sales-record/#comments
According to the latest NPD figures, the Wii has done more than introduce gaming to your grandma, as the console has managed to reach the 20 million mark in just 31 months on the market, MCV reports. That makes it the fastest-selling console in US history.

Following Nintendo's announcements for New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Fit Plus, we wonder if the console will ever run out of steam. Considering how well it continues to sell in this region, despite the poor economy, we doubt it will any time soon.

The Left 4 Dead 2 announcement at the Microsoft press conference gobsmacked us this morning (didn't they just release Left 4 Dead like last November? What is this, Madden?), but apparently the sneaky folks at Rock Paper Shotgun weren't surprised: they've already seen the game in action. We're hoping to see it this week ourselves, but until then, here's a few juicy zombie tidbits to hold you over: the game takes place in the Southern United States, and the five campaigns will take you on a Southern odyssey from Savannah to New Orleans. There are four new characters also: a rough high school coach who's used to taking charge, a female cable news reporter, a rustic Southern mechanic type, and a Sawyer-style con man. The characters keep the snappy dialogue, and the campaigns will tell an overarching story as you move through them.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>E3left-4-dead-2maddenMicrosoftpcrock-paper-scissorssouthuswitchxboxXbox-360zombiesMon, 01 Jun 2009 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/npd-killzone-2-deploys-58k-copies-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/npd-killzone-2-deploys-58k-copies-in-april/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/19/npd-killzone-2-deploys-58k-copies-in-april/#comments
Guerrilla Games' FPS Killzone 2 passed the one million milestone a little while back, but it doesn't seem to be content with that. No, in fact, it's still selling copies, as the NPD numbers from April show the game unloaded 58,000 more units onto US soil, Gamasutra reports. This brings the US total for the game up to 677,000 copies, or about 4,739,000,000 dead Helghan.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessfpsguerrilla-gameskillzone-2npdsalesusTue, 19 May 2009 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/study-software-piracy-on-the-rise-but-so-are-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/study-software-piracy-on-the-rise-but-so-are-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/study-software-piracy-on-the-rise-but-so-are-sales/#comments
The Business Software Alliance recently conducted a study into piracy, and found that it may be a bigger problem than any of us could have thought, Reuters reports. The study showed that PC piracy accounted for 41 percent of total PC software installed in 2008, a 3 percent rise from 2007 figures. However, as piracy expands, so do sales, as PC software raked in $88 billion in 2008, a whopping 14 percent increase.

Even though the US only has a 20 percent piracy rate (which is the lowest in the world), Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of the BSA, says that figure is a lot worse considering we buy more software than any other country. But, as bad as the figures are, some countries are actually seeing a decline in illegal software.

Throughout two of the biggest regions for piracy (Russia and China), figures show a decline over previous years. In Russia, piracy dropped 5 points down to 68 percent in 2008, whereas in China the decline has been more gradual, dropping from figures of 90 percent in 2004 to 80 percent in 2008. Other countries remain at a 90 percent or higher piracy rate, however, including Georgia, Bangladesh, Armenia, Zimbabwe, Sri Landa, Azerbaijan and Moldova.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bussiness-software-alliancechinadont-copy-that-floppypcpiracyrussiaukunited-statesusTue, 12 May 2009 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/16/npd-survey-says-game-spending-to-stay-strong-in-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/16/npd-survey-says-game-spending-to-stay-strong-in-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/16/npd-survey-says-game-spending-to-stay-strong-in-09/#comments
We'll be straight with you, folks: We don't really like surveys or statistics all that much. So when the NPD talks to 10,000 US citizens about their entertainment consumption and spending, we're inclined to be highly suspicious of any conclusions it may arrive at (after all, that's less than one percent of the US population). That being said, the NPD's latest poll found that, of those 10,000 people, 65 percent are currently willing to spend "the same or more" this year on video games as they did in 2008.

Seems as though even in tough economic times, consumers gravitate towards entertainment to take their minds off of duckets (or their lack thereof). "Most consumers say they'll continue to purchase at least the same amount of many entertainment categories in the coming year," NPD analyst Russ Crupnick says, remaining positive on the future viability of entertainment sales in general. We're hoping -- for our sake as well -- his assessment pans out.

It's early 2009, we've just elected a new President, and there are quite literally a mountain of problems to be addressed on Capitol Hill. Our economy has been in substantial turmoil for roughly six months, with some problems stretching back for years. Many states are at or near bankruptcy. This economic crisis has, by now, hit every country on the planet to some degree. So, our legislators have spent the last two months rushing to put together proposals to regulate video games. No, no one's undivided attention has been on the economy during this complete mess. Instead, since the start of the year, it seems there has been an explosion of potential new video game regulations, from Jack Thompson's bill in Utah, to New York, to the US Congress, to Australia -- just to name a few. And that's in addition to issues like the FTC's rumblings about DRM, which I've mentioned previously.

While this boom in regulations and potential enforcement may be great news for sites like GamePolitics, it's potentially bad news for game developers and consumers, not to mention the taxpayers who are footing the bill for all of this. Of course, these laws are also coming from a number of different directions and under different theories, so I thought it might be a good time to give a short take on each and predict which directions things could be going.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiabillsjack-thompsonlawlaw-of-the-gamelawslegislationlegislaturelgjnew-yorkregulationsusus-congressutahMon, 09 Feb 2009 22:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/futures-future-in-print-not-looking-bright-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/futures-future-in-print-not-looking-bright-in-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/28/futures-future-in-print-not-looking-bright-in-the-us/#commentsDespite an uptick in UK magazine sales it seems that Future Publishing is not seeing quite as encouraging numbers in the US. Its magazines in the region (Nintendo Power and the official Microsoft and Sony mags) have seen the company's revenue fall by 2% over the last three months, calling into question how sustainable that particular medium is in the current economic climate.

Print advertising revenues fell by 4% during the same period, while online advertising revenue increased by 25%. 2 million new users have been accessing its web content (which includes GamesRadar) since September, bringing the total to over 20 million. A far larger reach than is realistically possible with a magazine. All the signs are pointing to the death of print media in the US; you need only think back a few weeks to the closure of EGM to realize that.

Future is putting on a brave face, stating that it will "remain confident that we're in the best shape we can be to deal with whatever challenges lie ahead and are on track to deliver against expectations for the full year." The company's gaming section is proving to be less resilient to the economic crisis than its other sectors, such as music or technology. With almost a third of its entire library devoted to video games, however, this decline is certainly troubling.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>futurefuture-publishingNintendo-Powernorth-americaOPMOXMUSWed, 28 Jan 2009 06:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/wii-music-shows-students-how-to-play-the-dog/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/wii-music-shows-students-how-to-play-the-dog/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/wii-music-shows-students-how-to-play-the-dog/#comments
If there's one thing that's stuck with us concerning Wii Music, it's the ability to play the dog. Well, okay, there's also Stan Lee on the beat box. Now, thanks to a collaboration between Nintendo and MENC (The National Association for Music Education), such fun can be had in the classroom.

Nintendo and MENC are working together with teachers in 51 cities across the United States to implement Wii Music into their lesson plans. "By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice," said Cammie Dunaway. Executive director of MENC, John J. Mahlmann, agrees, stating "At any grade level, it's essential to provide students with the tools and encouragement they need to be creative."

It's pretty cool, me must admit. Video games never were welcome in the classroom when we were younger, so we're glad that educators are seeing their potential. What's next? Physics professors mapping out the force of Mario stomping on a goomba's head?

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has announced that the Nintendo DSi will be shipping overseas "by summer 2009," narrowing the previous US launch window of "well into 2009" set by Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. According to Reuters, Iwata said, "Specific plans will be unveiled by our local subsidiaries, but an autumn or year-end launch would probably be too late."

As of this writing, the DSi is now officially available in Japan. The DS Lite's launch spawned some iconic photographs of people waiting in seemingly endlesslines to pick up the portable. That doesn't seem to be the case this time. According to ground reports from IGN, many stores in Tokyo opted to take only pre-orders and/or set up raffles where winning customers could come by at anytime that day to pick it up. Hype-inducing photo ops: Denied.